The Surprising Reasons Lentils Might be in Your Dog's Food
Red Lentils are common in Indian Curries but lately they have become a popular addition to many pet foods. But it might surprise you to find that they are in many dog formulas today. But take a look at all the health benefits and advantages that this little superfood has, and we're sure you'll agree you're dog will get a health boost out of eating them.
Pet Parents usually want to get the best for their pups, and Champion Pet Foods Orijen Dog Formulas do their best to make the best possible kibble for your pet. The 6 Fish Formula (made with non-GMO ingredients from sustainable sources) used to have potatoes but the kitchen has now replaced the spuds with lentils. In the past the potatoes were a source of starch to "glue" the kibble together. They were low carb, but the lentils make it even lower in carbs.
Here is the award winning Orijen Dog Food available in our online store. We consider it to be one of the best fish based foods out there and it's suitable for all life stages and sizes of dogs. It's designed to be a very low carb food as well.
Lots of Meat Means Low Carb
Dogs seem to have an improved ability in comparison to wolves to break down starches in carbs into sugars, but their diet should still be primarily meat. They are still genetically very close to wolves which eat very few starchy foods. That's why Orijen's 6 Fish formula ingredients include 85% meat products. The remaining 15% includes a healthy portion of low carb fruits, vegetables,and legumes like red lentils. Red Lentils have a high content of antioxidants, more fiber, and more overall nutrition than potatoes or grains.
Lower Risk of Diabetes
Dog food formulas containing low amounts of simple carbs will convert to glucose more slowly. There are less blood sugar spikes, and thus there isn't a great demand for the release of insulin which transports glucose to cells. Research is showing this my be a factor in reducing the chance of diabetes developing.
More Antioxidants
There are high amounts of healthy antioxidants in lentils as well. Legumes that are brightly colored like red lentils have extra high amounts of antioxidants that latch onto nasty damaging free radicals and neutralize them. Antioxidants are widely thought to slow down aging and preserve overall health. Good for your pet to have them and good for you too.
Fiber is Good For Your Pet
The final point we'll talk about with lentils as that they have a lot of fiber in them. This should help to regulate the bowel movement, and help to make your pet feel fuller. The fibers should also help to clean nasty toxins out of the system. If you are concerned about the fiber causing gas not to worry we haven't heard of many problems. The dog's digestive system is too short for this to be a problem most times. Plus the fiber feeds the friendly bacteria that help breakdown and digest food. Things that feed the friendly ones are called prebiotics and red lentils are definitely one of them.
With 85% Animal Orijen has so much animal protein in it that healthy levels of taurine are assured in it. Perhaps a lower grade of pet food would include lentils as a filler and have lower levels of taurine as a consequence, but this is absolutely NOT the case with Orijen. With all the Omegas in Orijen 6 Fish Dog food, it is extremely healthy for your dog.
Recipe for a healthy pet right?
There are lots of other cool features about this food so check it out in our online store! It's also available for cats. You can find the dog version of it here:
Orijen 6 Fish in our Online Store
https://naturalpetfoods.ca/products/orijen-six-fish-dry-dog-food-new?variant=35035660360
As usual this blog is not intended to constitute medical advice. Please consult with your veterinarian before changing your pet's diet.
Here are some other links about the benefits of lentils. Most are written with humans in mind but most benefits translate to dogs very well.
Antioxidants in lentils
https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/news/20040617/antioxidants-found-unexpected-foods
Why eat lentils?
https://www.openhand.org/blog/5-reasons-why-you-should-eat-lentils
One of the world's healthiest foods
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=52
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